Lets Revisit Matt Hardy - Was his "Return" in 2005 the last "swerve" of the Internet Age

[Hanso Amore]

Im not a hardy fan at all. Hate him. Still though I remember his return in 2005 as some amazing booking playing off the IWC and Dirt Sheets. People knew the story and they made it work.

In today's age of knowing returns before they happen, and always knowing the booking direction, was this the last great angle in which was unexpected? I remember being caught off guard that first week and being blown away. I cant remember a time since then where I was so surprised and caught off guard. How I had no idea this was coming was amazing. Look at today, Batista cant come back without us knowing before the WWE plans on it. We know angles before they happen. Nothing is shocking. This was my last TRUE shock.

All that said, this could have been more and wasnt, but thats not my point. I still think this could have been a turning point in WWE booking a la Austin 3:16. They blew down walls and could have changed how this business is done.

Use this thread to discuss the above or reflect on this angle.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I would have been shocked by The Rock's return had my friend not texted me whilst I was watching on DVR.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Money in the Bank cash ins are about as close as we're going to get to being shocked anymore, but even those are losing steam.

[Lock Jaw]

It was pretty rad, and I used various quotes of TPWW Member's reaction to it in an essay I wrote about wrestling fans in university.

[Hanso Amore]

The rock was pretty good. I had no idea. But they built it up on TV as this OH BIG SURPRISE then he came out so maybe it killed it for me.

MITB - yeah- but half the time we see it coming and have false cash ins ad fans chanting for the cashier(?) (Cashee?)

[Hanso Amore]

It was pretty rad, and I used various quotes of TPWW Member's reaction to it in an essay I wrote about wrestling fans in university.

I want to read this. Do it. PM it to me.

[Lock Jaw]

I don't have it in my current city. On my old computer at home. It was mostly made up BS to fill pages, as most (all) of my essays were.

[McLegend]

Didn't "we" know he showing up on Raw? Wasn't it reported by various places? It was awesome.

Also I will always believe that whole thing with Lita/Edge/Matt Hardy was a complete work from start to finish. Lita and Edge never had an affair.

[Curd]

Anything on the independent circuit is a swerve, because the dirt sheets don't bother covering it.

[Tazz Dan]

Jericho's return at last years rumble was a good surprise, not so much a swerve. Nobody had a clue that was happening. You're probably right with Hardy there too.

[Bad News Gertner]

Mark Henry retiring was pretty good.

[Sexton-Hardcastle]

Jake Roberts showed on Raw this week without a pre-report..That must have felt like a stab wound to Meltzer..

[Ruien]

Pretty sure we were all shocked when NXT destroyed Cena and the Raw set to end Raw.

[whiteyford]

Angle showing up in TNA maybe, probably the last time any jump has been kept as under wraps in years.

[Hanso Amore]

Didn't "we" know he showing up on Raw? Wasn't it reported by various places? It was awesome.

Also I will always believe that whole thing with Lita/Edge/Matt Hardy was a complete work from start to finish. Lita and Edge never had an affair.

Maybe I am not remembering it wrong, but not on that first week where he jumped edge backstage. After that it quickly got out he was back on the payroll but that first night I didn't see a single thing before hand.

[Mr. Nerfect]

The Matt Hardy angle could have made him a major star, but they presented Matt as a giant pussy once he returned. The dude should have given Vince the Twist of Fate and gotten disqualified for trying to really hurt Edge at SummerSlam.

[Anybody Thrilla]

The biggest moment of that whole feud that stands out in my memory was during the Edge and Lita wedding when Matt's theme song hit. I marked the fuck out...but it was a swerve.

[Fignuts]

The Matt Hardy angle could have made him a major star, but they presented Matt as a giant pussy once he returned. The dude should have given Vince the Twist of Fate and gotten disqualified for trying to really hurt Edge at SummerSlam.

Matt was always going to be mid card at best, on account of sounding like a backyard wrestler whenever he picked up the mic. His in ring stuff was good, but not amazing.

[Loose Cannon]

The Edge/Lita wedding spot was epic. the whole audience freaked out. That was like one of the first times when the WWE really started "hearing" the internet. Like they knew everyone knew what was going on backstage with the 3 and they played up that. I think they saw how the audience reacted during the wedding and just said fuck it, he's coming back.

The initial comeback was pretty sweet as I recall and definately a mark out moment. Then I think they had him get beat up pretty bad in his first match back on Raw and made him look weak and everything fizzled out pretty fast. Just another one of those angles where they could of made him into a huge babyface, but it got fucked up pretty quick. Kind of reminds me of Buff back in WCW when the fans were going nuts for him after his neck injury and then they killed it and turned him heel and made him Steiners bitch.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Dunno. I think the “accident” in the hotel room in 2009 being reported on by WWE.com and then having it revealed later that Matt was the culprit behind it might have been even more epic IMO.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Z1A_v9Ur26k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Mr. Nerfect]

The Edge/Lita wedding spot was epic. the whole audience freaked out. That was like one of the first times when the WWE really started "hearing" the internet. Like they knew everyone knew what was going on backstage with the 3 and they played up that. I think they saw how the audience reacted during the wedding and just said fuck it, he's coming back.

The initial comeback was pretty sweet as I recall and definately a mark out moment. Then I think they had him get beat up pretty bad in his first match back on Raw and made him look weak and everything fizzled out pretty fast. Just another one of those angles where they could of made him into a huge babyface, but it got fucked up pretty quick. Kind of reminds me of Buff back in WCW when the fans were going nuts for him after his neck injury and then they killed it and turned him heel and made him Steiners bitch.

Exactly this. Matt Hardy never really evolved his game past Mattitude, and while a good worker, he was never on the level of the all-time greats. There was something there, though, and I think money could have been made off it if they had just squeezed the trigger a little harder.

[whiteyford]

Genuinely thought Matt would be the bigger star of the two Hardys in the long run, better on the mic and not as career shortening big spot orientated as Jeff. The whole angle seemed designed to push Edge and Punish Hardy though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I always liked Matt better, but Jeff really came onto his own just around the time he won the WWE Championship. Got the same sort of whirlwind about him that CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have both gotten since.

Apparently Matt's sorted his shit out? I'm not sure, but if Jeff Hardy doesn't re-sign with TNA, the idea of The Hardy Boyz being back in the WWE doesn't sound too terrible.

[Theo Dious]

Jake Roberts showed on Raw this week without a pre-report..That must have felt like a stab wound to Meltzer..

Anything that causes Meltzer pain makes me want to touch myself.

[JimmyMess]

I would have been shocked by The Rock's return had my friend not texted me whilst I was watching on DVR.

Yeah my last TRUE shock was The Rock returning as the Wrestlemania host.

[Fignuts]

I always liked Matt better, but Jeff really came onto his own just around the time he won the WWE Championship. Got the same sort of whirlwind about him that CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have both gotten since.

Apparently Matt's sorted his shit out? I'm not sure, but if Jeff Hardy doesn't re-sign with TNA, the idea of The Hardy Boyz being back in the WWE doesn't sound too terrible.

He still looks fat to me.

[Mr. Nerfect]

He should start doing DDP Yoga.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Give him a Kanyon gimmick where he starts hitting Diamond Cutters randomly on people in the background at shows.